---
"Take this."
I handed something over. Upon closer inspection, it was a thin leather diary. The cover, with a reddish hue, looked as beautiful as a raw ruby.
"No, it's okay."
"Hurry."
Woojin politely received the diary with both hands. Then, the old woman smiled an inscrutable smile and said, "It will be useful for a bachelor."
"Thank you. Please be careful on your way in!" Woojin greeted her and turned around.
At that moment, her words flashed through his mind: "It will be useful for a bachelor."
He felt an inexplicable sense of bewilderment at the somewhat significant tone. Goosebumps rose on his skin as he instinctively turned back.
"Huh?"
There was nothing. No one in sight. It had only been about 10 seconds, but the old woman and her cart had vanished without a trace. Unless it was a mirage, how could something like that happen?
'What... What was that?'
In his hand, the diary she had given him remained. Still startled, Woojin headed home, not even bothering to turn on the lights, and went straight to the refrigerator.
– Gulp, gulp.
He downed a glass of cold water. Only then did his startled heart gradually calm down.
– Thud.
Woojin sighed slowly and sat down on the floor. "Did I see things because I was drunk? Or... did I mistake it because I was tired?" He considered dismissing it, but the presence of the diary in his hand made it hard to explain logically.
The more he thought about it, the more complicated it became.
"I didn't even turn on the lights," he muttered, before putting the diary down and standing up.
– Click.
The room lit up as soon as he flicked the switch. What appeared was a tiny, five-pyeong apartment, littered with dozens of scripts and profiles scattered across the floor, a makeshift table, an old mattress, and a minimal collection of clothes.
"The result of chasing one dream ended up being this shabby."
Woojin tidied up the room roughly, then sat down at his desk.
"Even if I quit, I should still use it."
During his 15 years of obscurity, there was one habit he never missed: writing in his diary. It included a brief review along with basic information and results about every audition.
"You've used quite a lot."
The audition diary meticulously documented each audition from his first attempt to the present. Though it held no meaning now, it had once driven him to keep pursuing acting.
'Huh? It's already full?'
Upon opening the diary, he realized he had filled it up after logging his 499th audition.
With a perplexed expression, Woojin looked around.
'Oh, right!'
He picked up the diary the old woman had given him. "Is this really just a coincidence?"
It was so uncanny, almost as if she had known what he needed. Woojin opened the reddish-tinted diary.
– Thud.
A small piece of paper fell to the floor. Curious, Woojin picked it up and read the notes written on it, titled "Precautions."
---
[Precautions]
All information written in this item will directly affect the user's life.
The use of this item is at the reader's discretion, but no one will be responsible for the consequences.
The capacity (number of pages) of this item may increase or decrease based on the user's ability. (However, once the entire dosage is consumed, all effects will disappear.)
All events associated with this item can only be experienced and perceived by the user.
To activate the item, write your name in the blank space on the first page.
---
Woojin opened the first page of the diary and, sure enough, there was a blank space to write a name.
"These days, they really make kids' toys fancy. It wasn't like this back in my day." Woojin chuckled, then casually wrote his name in the space. As he flipped through, he saw there were about 10 pages left, enough to write what might be his final journal entry.
Sigh.
He sighed and began writing in the new diary.
---
[500th Audition Diary]
1. Work:
2. Date: May 30, 2020
3. Production: Rainbow Studio
4. Director: Joo Jung-hoon
5. Character: Kim Sang-pil (Psychopath)
6. Analysis: 33 years old. Male. …(omitted)
---
One letter at a time, Woojin filled the first page of the diary with his thoughts. The tip of his pen moved steadily until it suddenly stopped.
He had reached the part labeled 7) Result.
Without realizing it, his hands trembled. He tried to act indifferent, to pretend he was okay, but the reality of his situation—the fact that he had to quit without ever landing a lead or supporting role—hit him hard.
"Sniff."
Tears he had been holding back finally spilled over. Woojin drew a large 'X' in the blank space and sat there, crying endlessly.
His tears fell onto the diary, causing the ink to blur.
"If only I could go back to how things were before..."
That fleeting wish slipped into his mind as more tears fell onto the 'X' mark.
Then, suddenly, something unbelievable happened.
---
– Wheeeng.
A faint light began to emanate from the diary.
"Huh?"
Startled, Woojin jumped up from his chair. Without thinking, he slapped his cheek hard.
"Ow!"
The pain was real. This wasn't a dream—it was happening. The diary continued to glow brighter and brighter. Woojin, squinting against the light, cautiously reached out to touch it.
The moment his hand touched the glowing diary, the brightness intensified, engulfing him completely.
A languid sensation spread through his entire body, and memories of his acting career flashed before his eyes. The highs, the lows, the moments of hope, and the crushing disappointments—all of it passed like a movie.
Then, just as suddenly, the light faded, leaving Woojin in a completely white space.
---
Before him, within reach, was a mysterious red button.
Without hesitation, Woojin pressed it.
---
Baek Woo-jin. Actor. 35 years old. Contract completed (10/10)
---
A message window appeared, showing Woojin's basic information. Another message followed, describing the contract he'd unknowingly completed.
---
Basic Information:
1. The contractor can return to a specific point in their life up to the current date of the contract.
---
Woojin stood there, trying to make sense of it all.